//------------------------------// // 6 - Confirmation // Story: Warhawk // by Moonatik //------------------------------// 18:54 - 23/08/1003 - Whinnyapolis, Manesbury It had been more than two full nights, yet the chair at the Warmaster’s desk still felt far too big for Selenite. It didn’t help that it was very literal in the case of her actual desk. She needed an extra thick cushion under her so she could actually use it. Might be worth investing in a higher chair, at some point. Or looking into those height spells. But there were bigger matters on her mind than that. Already she’d sent out numerous orders to all the army groups across the front to ease the transfer of power and prevent disorder. Keeping casualties low was now the priority, which meant the army was not to go on any kind of offensive for the time being. She’d have to convene the War Council at some point too, and make sure a consistent strategy was being followed. The nights of “better a good plan now than a perfect plan later” were over, and the goal was now to make a perfect plan fast. Naturally, the goal of developing a perfect plan quickly meant Selenite’s hooves were full with coordinating the broad effort. Pulling together the brightest minds, mulling over every scrap of intelligence regarding Sombra’s forces, devising counters, planning first for wargaming the enemy, using the data to come up with plans and backup plans and backup backup plans. Everyone had to work around the clock, and work around the clock she did. Over the last two nights she’d had six hours of sleep, if she was being generous. She gazed up at the clock to check the time, but she couldn’t look away from the vast blank space on the wall where Hawkrich’s portrait once hung. It was the first thing to go from the office, and its removal was definitely the easiest decision Selenite had made as Warmaster so far. But truth be told, she wasn’t sure what else to put there. A map of Crystalia had been her first thought, but she’d need to request a map  that size to be custom printed to fit the space. And well, the printers had their hooves full printing maps to actually be used in planning rooms. While she’d efficiently grinded her way through the majority of her urgent tasks, there was still a growing stack of unread letters on her desk, ones that had been marked as not urgent or not related to the war effort. Now that she had a quiet moment, perhaps the first quiet moment Selenite had gotten since the promotion, perhaps it was  time to read them. Selenite plucked the first letter off the top of the stack, itself enclosed in a purple envelope bearing a high-priority stamp and the seal of the Chiropterran Ursa Legion. “Huh. Must’ve gone by air mail or dragonbreath,” she thought aloud, given there were thousands of miles and a whole ocean between Whinnyapolis and Chiropterra. She unsealed the envelope and pulled out the letter. Right away she recognised the hoofwriting.  Dear Warmaster Selenite, Congratulations on the promotion! I’m amazed but not the least bit surprised that you’ve attained such a position so quickly. It’s great to see more forward thinking ponies taking on more prominent roles in our great Empire. My confidence in Her Imperial Highness has only increased. You might like to hear that since we last wrote, I’ve been trusted with most of the legion’s military affairs to the point that I’m effectively their commander. I’m looking to make it into a specialised counter-insurgency unit, I know we’ll need one once we expand east. Grandfather is still in charge on paper, but he was and still is more a civil servant than a military stallion. Unfortunately, there isn’t much else in the way of good news from here. You’d think Empress Nightmare Moon personally ordering an end to the forced labourer system would’ve put a stop to  it, but no. Former labourers are being paid wages, but they’re horrifically low. Not enough to live independently, so they’re dependent on the state to house and feed them. They’re really pushing it. Political reforms aren’t any closer, either. We’re supposed to be delegating authority and government positions away from the Legionary Council, but hardly anything has been brought under civilian control. Even in the institutions that have been properly reformed, ponies sent by the council are still effectively in control. The most bizarre is the Forestry Commission, which is still under direct council control. I understand that you’re probably far too busy to write a reply anytime soon, or to deal with the politics of a dominion on another continent, so don’t stress yourself. You’ve got enough on your plate already, Warmaster!  I hope this letter has found you well, and for all our sakes, best of luck. Nightmare bless, Lucent Eclipse P.S. Next time you’re here, you need to try a Moonburger. I’ve heard the ones they make in Equestria are nowhere near as good as the ones here. On reading the final line, Selenite smiled. She wasn’t smiling much for the bulk of the letter, but it was nice to know her friend still wrote to her like a friend. It had been a while since she’d last seen Lucent, given the distance. Either him or Selenite making the trip across the ocean to visit was rare, and there was far too much going on in their home countries for either to make a transcontinental social call on a whim. Or, if he was managing the military affairs of his legion, maybe he could bring his forces to Equestria? Maybe not, he said the Ursa Legion’s specialties were in counter-insurgency and there was no insurgency to counter in liberated Crystal territory. She thought she’d figure something out later as she filed the letter away, making a note to write a reply at the first opportunity. Though as she checked the stack, she noticed the next letter was also from Chiropterra. The same priority stamp, but bearing the seal of the Nightmare Legion instead. She opened it and read the plain, brief, typewritten letter that barely filled a quarter of the page. Warmaster Selenite, Congratulations on the promotion. I am certain you will carry out your work in line with your ideals. I wish the Empire success under your management. Nightmare bless, Lady Auburn Leaf Hm, how cold. But the blunt message served as a reminder as to the breadth of her responsibilities. There was once a time where she’d have called Auburn a friend, but her commitment to the most vicious aspects of the Chiropterran caste system had taken a toll on their relationship. Resisting every reform, keeping power in their own hooves, brutalising the lowest rungs of society, Auburn Leaf and the high society of Chiropterran did all of it supposedly to protect and strengthen the Empress’s bastion in northwestern Zebrica. Debatably a noble goal, but Selenite could only see such means leading to suffering and ruin. Whatever warm feelings she had regarding Lucent’s letter were quickly chilled as the weight of responsibility flooded over her. She wasn’t just Warmaster of Equestria, but Warmaster of the entire Lunar Empire. She had to manage the armies and wrangle the politics of an imperium spread across three continents. Selenite dragged a drawer in the desk open, quickly retrieving a folder regarding Chiropterra. For all his faults, Hawkrich’s workspace was very well organised. She popped open the folder and the first document on top was a letter dated about a week ago. A letter addressed to Hawkrich from Viceroy Stars Whirl, the representative of the Imperial government in Chiropterra. A letter stating their intent to resign. Clenching her teeth, Selenite read over the letter. The Viceroy gave their reasons for why they didn’t think they suited the role as well as the usual spiel about a desire to spend more time with their family. Fortunately, they said they weren’t going to step down until a replacement was named, and clipped to the letter was a list of names Hawkrich had considered. Even with that lessening the urgency of the matter, there was still so much she needed to catch up on and not much time to do it. She glanced at the empty whiskey cabinet. She let Hawkrich take all his liquor, it was his own personal supply after all. But damn, her deliveries couldn’t get here soon enough. The intercom on her desk beeped. “Hey, Gen- sorry, Warmaster!” came the exasperated voice of her secretary, Timetable. She’d been Selenite’s secretary while she was a General and was still with her after the promotion, consequently she was dealing with a much bigger workload herself. “General Hawkrich is here to see you.” General Hawkrich. Hm. Sorry, not enough room in here for me and his ego, Selenite thought to say. But as fun as it would be, it was hardly professional. Selenite pressed a button on the intercom. “Send him in.” The door creaked open, and General Hawkrich slumped into the room. “General Hawkrich.” The corners of Selenite’s lips quivered as they neared a smirk, but she held a poker face. “Warmaster,” he breathed, his voice hoarse, saluting. “At ease. I don’t believe we have an appointment,” Selenite stated coldly. Hawkrich sighed, his head bowed slightly, eyes falling to the floor. When he spoke he did so slowly, one syllable after another like each word was being chosen individually. “I feel as if I should apologise…” His eyes and mouth clenched shut. He pulled his head up and looked Selenite in the eye, his voice picking up. “No, I must apologise. The way I’ve treated you the last few months has been inappropriate, unprofessional… unacceptable, frankly. For that I am sorry.” You’re not sorry for that, you’re sorry you had to face consequences is what Selenite was going to say if she didn’t bite her tongue. An urge crawled up her back, begging her to make him squirm, to make him suffer the humiliation of having to crawl to her now. Barely a few nights ago he’d been where she was then, berating her just for doing what was right. Well, what goes around comes around, doesn’t it? But the urge never reached her lips. One look at the old stallion. The wrinkles under his eyes seemed more pronounced than normal, his blinks slow and tired. Even his wings hung limp from his sides like the petals of wilted flowers. If there was something worthy of beration in Hawkrich, it wasn’t there right now. Honestly it was just kind of sad. And what had brought him down, really? Pride? Arrogance? Believing himself above the standards of others? Tormenting him in this moment would be the epitome of that same pride and arrogance. The whole point of Selenite being in his former position was so she could be better than him, not to replicate his mistakes. If there were any actual crimes, she knew she was far from one to pass judgement on him. He was just kind of an asshole, and seemed genuinely apologetic about it. “Apology accepted, General,” Selenite said. “Will that be all?” “If you need any assistance while you get acclimated to your new role, I offer my full cooperation. And… That’s all, Warmaster. I thought I owed it to you to say it in person.” He sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do next.” Hawkrich raised his hoof in a salute, then turned to leave. “Wait.” Hawkrich stopped. He glanced back. “Yes, Warmaster?” “I’m not done with you yet.” Ears turned forwards, Hawkrich turned back towards the desk. There was a slight quiver on his lips. In all truth, Selenite wasn’t totally sure about what she was about to offer. But it was a harmless gesture of reconciliation, so she might as well. “In about an hour I’m going out to greet wounded soldiers. The hospital is on the northside of town. Most of them seem to be from the First Army. Only I’m still something of an unknown to soldiers outside the Fourth Army, and the troops love you.” Hawkrich blinked. His wings fluttered a little. “Are you inviting me to come with you?” “They could certainly use a famous face to help raise morale,” said Selenite. Glumness was banished from Hawkrichs’ eyes as they glistened with joy. “It would be my pleasure, Warmaster.” He grinned humbly. Selenite settled her hooves on her desk. “That said, I am not restoring any of your commands in the war against Sombra. There are other ponies better suited to the task,” she added. Hawkrich silently nodded, wordlessly conceding the point. “Plus, Her Highness is still pretty mad at you, so I doubt she wants to see you much in the planning rooms. Which brings me to something else. I want to know more about the situation in Chiropterra.” “Ah, yes. The security situation is where we want it, no imminent threats to their territory and their military is more than capable of defeating any attacks,” said Hawkrich. “But I suspect you mean the political situation?” “I do,” Selenite confirmed. “Well…” Hawkrich sighed. “Since you’re asking, you know it’s far from ideal. If my hooves weren’t full in Equestria, I’d have done more to ensure that the directives her Highness ordered two and a half years ago were better implemented. The reforms so far have been lacking, and many of them only exist on paper. Oh, and I haven't had the chance to tell you yet, but Viceroy Stars Whirl is planning on stepping down.” “I saw it in your files,” Selenite said, pushing the Chiropterra folder to the centre of the desk. “I wanted to ask about that.” “Hm, just as well.” Hawkrich walked closer to the desk, pointing to the file. “I jotted down a list of potential replacements, but I thought about it more and I’ve considered a few other ponies-” “General.” Selenite put a hoof forward, prompting Hawkrich to stop speaking. Now came the true offer of reconciliation. Not a gesture, something with real consequence. She didn’t let her reservations show. “I was planning on offering you the post.” Hawkrich’s wings shot out, a gasp escaping him as he stepped back. “You want me to be Viceroy?” He pulled his wings back in and fixed his composure. “After all the… bullshit I gave you?” He straightened himself out a little. “Ah, excuse my language.” Selenite smirked, unbothered by his profanity (she was absolutely far from one to pass judgement there). “That just shows me that you’re not afraid to rap people on the hooves, just that you need to be rapping the right sets of hooves. Beyond that, you’re respected, you’re resolutely committed to what you think is right, and you know what’s wrong with Chiropterra. Might as well put you in a place where you can fix it.” “Viceroy of Chiropterra.” He shook his head, the smile not leaving his lips. “Vice, roy. Vice to royalty, after the royalty in question expelled me from my position.” “If I can convince her, the job is yours.” Hawkrich chuckled. “You know, that sounds an awful lot like an attempt to get rid of me.” Selenite cocked an eyebrow. “Send me off to another continent to hold the leash of the most zealous ponies in the Empire?” Hawkrich circled a hoof around. “Best case I’m over there and out of your very long hair, worst case I get eaten alive?” “I didn’t mean for it to come across like that.” said Selenite hastily. After a moment, she threw Hawkrich a smirk. “Maybe Her Highness will.” “Well, if that’s how you present it to her, and it works, I wouldn’t be offended.” He shrugged. Truth be told, Selenite really hadn’t considered it a way to dispose of Hawkrich. If she wanted to get rid of him, the easier thing to do would be to further foster Nightmare Moon’s frustrations with him and get him petrified, not go through the trouble of convincing her to trust him with an important post. “That all said…” Bringing his head up high, Hawkrich snapped his hoof up to a strong salute and raised his voice. “I swore a vow to serve the Empire faithfully. Whatever you ask, Warmaster, it will be done to the best of my abilities.” “Excellent.” Selenite smiled, standing up to salute Hawkrich back. “I’ll speak to the Empress and I will see if I can get you appointed.” “Thank you, Warmaster.” Hawkrich lowered his hoof, but kept his chin firmly up. “Am I dismissed?” “Yes. See you at the hospital at twenty hundred hours.”